Prayer
Overview
Make Prayer a part of your everyday life.
What do you talk to God about? Many people find the idea of prayer intimidating … but it was never meant to be this way. Prayer is simply an ongoing, honest conversation between you and God—and sometimes includes your trusted friends. YouVersion Prayer helps you make prayer a daily habit.
Guided Prayer
Guided Prayer leads you through the framework of “the Lord’s prayer,” the prayer structure that Jesus taught His disciples, recorded in Matthew 6 and in Luke 11. Every day, a new series of prompts helps you practice having conversations with God based on His Word.
Android, iOS:
- Select the Home tab, if it isn’t already.
iOS:
Select the For You tab, if it isn’t already. - Find the Prayer card in your Home feed,
then select Pray Now.Most panels include descriptive titles like Welcome, Honor God, God’s Will, My Concerns, My Response, etc. - Tap the right side of the screen to advance,
OR
Tap the left side of the screen to go back,
following the prompts as you go.Top left: To close today’s guided Prayer, select X.Some panels may include prompts that help you add a Prayer to your Prayer List, or prompts to remind you to pray for Prayers that you have already saved to your Prayer List.
Additional Options:
- My Concerns. Select Add Prayer to create a new Prayer in your Prayer List about some problem you are facing.
- From my Prayer List. Select View Details to see the content from a Prayer that you have already saved. To remove a Prayer from your Prayer List but still keep it, select Archive. Top left: Select X to return to Guided Prayer.
Prayer List
Select Prayer List to start drawing closer to God and your community by creating and sharing Prayers.
Create a New Prayer
Android, iOS:
- Select the Home tab, if it isn’t already.
iOS:
Select the For You tab, if it isn’t already. - Find the Prayer card in your Home feed,
then select Prayer List. - Top right: Select +.
- Type a Title. (Max: 70 characters)
- Select Add details about your Prayer… and type a Description.
- Save: Top right: Select Save.
OR
Cancel without saving: Top left: Select Cancel or ←.
✓ Share with Friends
✓ View your Prayer List
✓ Create another new Prayer (+)
Edit a Prayer
Change a Prayer Title and/or Description. You can only edit your own Prayers. You cannot edit Prayers created by Friends.
Android, iOS:
- Select the Home tab, if it isn’t already.
iOS:
Select the For You tab, if it isn’t already. - Find the Prayer card in your Home feed,
then select Prayer List. - Swipe to find the Prayer you want to edit.
- Top right: Select ⋯ or ︙, Edit.
- Edit the Title.
- Select anywhere in the Description to edit it.
- Save: Top right: Select Save.
OR
Cancel without saving: Top left: Select Cancel or ←.
✓ Share with Friends
✓ View your Prayer List
✓ Create another new Prayer (+)
Post an Update to a Prayer
Sometimes circumstances change around an issue you’re praying for. Updates let you keep your Prayer the same, but notify Friends praying for you that something changed. You can only update your own Prayers. You cannot update Prayers created by Friends.
Android, iOS:
- Select the Home tab, if it isn’t already.
iOS:
Select the For You tab, if it isn’t already. - Find the Prayer card in your Home feed,
then select Prayer List. - Swipe to find the Prayer you want to update.
- Top right: Select ⋯ or ︙, Post an Update.
- Type your Update.
- Save: Top right: Select Save.
OR
Cancel changes: Top left: Select Cancel or ←.
Share a Prayer with Friends
Every time you create a new Prayer, it is private by default. You can share your own Prayers, as well as Prayers from Friends that have Prayer Chain enabled.
Android, iOS:
- Select the Home tab, if it isn’t already.
iOS:
Select the For You tab, if it isn’t already. - Find the Prayer card in your Home feed,
then select Prayer List. - Swipe to find the Prayer you want to share.
- Top right: Select ⋯ or ︙, Share with Friends.
- Select the Friends you want to share with. A check mark appears next to each Friend you select.
After you finish selecting Friends you want to receive this prayer:
- Share: Bottom right: Select Send (the paper airplane icon).
OR
Cancel without sharing: Top left: Select Cancel or ←.
✓ You will receive a notification.
✓ Your Prayer displays a scrolling list of who prayed for it.
Answered Prayers
When an issue you have been praying for is resolved, Marking it as Answered:
- Notifies your Friends who have been praying for this Prayer.
- Moves this Prayer from your active Prayer List to your list of Answered Prayers.
Mark a Prayer as Answered
Android, iOS:
- Select the Home tab, if it isn’t already.
iOS:
Select the For You tab, if it isn’t already. - Find the Prayer card in your Home feed,
then select Prayer List. - Swipe to find the Prayer you want to mark as answered.
- Top right: Select ⋯ or ︙, Mark as Answered.
- Save: Top right: Select Save.
OR
Cancel changes: Top left: Select Cancel or ←.
View Your Answered Prayers
Android, iOS:
- Select the Home tab, if it isn’t already.
iOS:
Select the For You tab, if it isn’t already. - Find the Prayer card in your Home feed,
then select Prayer List.
- Top right: Switch view between Cards and List.
- Select Answered.
Archived Prayers
Archiving a Prayer lets you keep it, while removing it from your active Prayer List.
Archive a Prayer
Android, iOS:
- Select the Home tab, if it isn’t already.
iOS:
Select the For You tab, if it isn’t already. - Find the Prayer card in your Home feed,
then select Prayer List. - Swipe to find the Prayer you want to archive.
- Top right: Select ⋯ or ︙, Archive.
View Your Archived Prayers
Android, iOS:
- Select the Home tab, if it isn’t already.
iOS:
Select the For You tab, if it isn’t already. - Find the Prayer card in your Home feed,
then select Prayer List.
- Top right: Switch view between Cards and List.
- Select Archived.
Delete an Archived Prayer
Android, iOS:
- Select the Home tab, if it isn’t already.
iOS:
Select the For You tab, if it isn’t already. - Find the Prayer card in your Home feed,
then select Prayer List.
- Top right: Switch view between Cards and List.
- Select Archived.
- Scroll to the Archived Prayer you want to Delete.
- Android:
Long-press on the Prayer, then select Delete.
iOS:
Swipe left on the Prayer, then select Delete.
Restore an Archived Prayer
Restoring an Archived Prayer moves it from your Archived list, back into your active Prayer List.
Android, iOS:
- Select the Home tab, if it isn’t already.
iOS:
Select the For You tab, if it isn’t already. - Find the Prayer card in your Home feed,
then select Prayer List.
- Top right: Switch view between Cards and List.
- Select the Prayer you want to Restore.
- Android:
Long-press on the Prayer, then select Restore.
iOS:
Swipe left on the Prayer, then select Restore.
Delete a Prayer
Deleting a Prayer removes it completely from any of your lists in which it appears:
Android, iOS:
- Select the Home tab, if it isn’t already.
iOS:
Select the For You tab, if it isn’t already. - Find the Prayer card in your Home feed,
then select Prayer List. - Swipe to find the Prayer you want to delete.
- For any Prayer:
Android:
Top right: Select ︙, Delete.
iOS:
If the Prayer is yours:- Top right: Select ︙, Delete.
If the Prayer is one that a Friend shared with you:- Top right: Select ⋯, Archive.Top right: Switch view between Cards and List, to List view.
- In List view: Tap Archived.Archived Prayers are only visible in List view.
- Swipe left on the Prayer you want to delete, and select Delete.Deleting a Prayer that a Friend shared with you only removes it from your lists. Your Friend will still have their original Prayer.
Adjust Prayer Notifications
Android, iOS:
- Main menu: Select More,
Notifications,
Top right: Settings (the gear icon). - Select Email Notifications,
scroll to the Prayer section, and
select which actions you want to send you Emails. - Select Back or ←.
- Select Push Notifications,
scroll to the Prayer section, and
select which actions you want to send you Push Notifications.
How to Use the App to Pray
Your Prayers display in your Prayer List in your Home feed. Profile pictures show who created each Prayer. A dot indicates an unopened or updated Prayer.
Android, iOS:
- Select the Home tab, if it isn’t already.
iOS:
Select the For You tab, if it isn’t already. - Find the Prayer card in your Home feed,
then select Prayer List.Top right: Switch view between Cards and List - Swipe to find the Prayer you want to pray about.
- After you pray for a Prayer, tap [Pray].
Friends see a notification that you prayed for them.
Share a Comment on a Prayer
Comments are only enabled for Prayers that have been shared with Friends. Comments are a great place to offer encouragement, ask questions, celebrate victories together, and more.
When you see a Prayer you want to share a comment on:
Android, iOS:
- Select anywhere on the Prayer to open it.
- Scroll down to see any existing Updates.
- Scroll down to see any existing Comments.
- Select the Comment field.
- Type your Comment.
- Share your Comment: Bottom right: Select Send (the paper airplane icon).
OR
Cancel without sharing: Top left: Select Cancel or ←.
Create a Prayer from a Bible Passage
The Bible Reader offers several ways to interact with Bible passages, including the option to create a Prayer.
Android, iOS:
From the Bible Reader (Main menu: Read):
- Select the Bible Verse(s) you want to use as a Prayer. Dotted underlines show which Verse(s) you have selected. Available options display underneath.
- Swipe the options left until you see Pray.
- Select Pray. The default Title and Description reflect the Bible passage you selected.You can edit the Title (Max: 70 characters) and/or Description.
- Save: Top right: Select Save.
OR
Cancel without saving: Top left: Select Cancel or ←.
✓ Share with Friends
✓ View your Prayer List
✓ Create another new Prayer (+)
About Prayer Lists
Your Prayer List includes all your Prayers:
- Prayers that you created (displayed first).
- Prayers that Friends shared with you.
You can find your Prayer List:
- In your Home feed
- On your Profile page
- Main menu: More, Prayer List
Your Prayers display newest to oldest (including updates).
Profile Pictures show who created each Prayer.
A dot indicates a Prayer you haven’t opened yet, or a Prayer that’s been Updated.
Top right: Switch view between Cards and List:
- Card view: Swipe left and right through your Prayer List.
- List view: Scroll up and down through your Prayer List.
Answered Prayers and Archived Prayers are only visible in List view.